Just off Serenade transatlantic

[Hroswitha]

We recently returned from Serenade of the Seas' Ft. Lauderdale-to-Copenhagen transatlantic, and the overall report is quite positive.

 

Who is "we"? A married couple and two female friends, all Americans in our late sixties. Three moderately experienced cruisers (6 to 13 previous cruises on five lines) and one newbie. We're all active and pretty adventurous.

 

Weather was for the most part pleasant, and warmer than we'd expected. Several foggy mornings, but the afternoons tended to be clear. We cut short our port time in the Azores to avoid a predicted storm, and the change in plans seemed to work well. We did experience some rocking, but we actually kind of enjoyed it--or at least three of us did!

 

There were signs of the ship's age if one chose to look for them, but we found all systems operating properly, cleanliness standards very high, and maintenance constantly ongoing. No sign of excessive wear or staining of upholstery, linens, carpeting, etc.

 

Because of the likelihood of cool weather, we chose ocean view cabins this time rather than balconies and were quite satisfied with the decision. We'd been a bit concerned about our far-forward, Deck 4 location near the theater, but it turned out to be a fine choice. Among the quietest cabins we've had and quite stable, probably because it was so low in the ship. Bed was surprisingly comfortable. We seldom saw our steward, but she kept the place immaculate and our ice bucket full.

 

Water temp in the cabin was, however, totally unpredictable. Sometimes cold water was warm; sometimes hot water was cool; sometimes it switched midstream. And sometimes it was perfect.

 

Food in the main dining room ranged mostly from good to very good, with a few dishes really excellent. Unfortunately a couple of them--in our opinion--verged on inedible, but those were quickly replaced. There were some problems with temperature of the food: often lukewarm rather than hot or cold.

 

We don't get particularly excited about lobster at sea, but the tails offered on one of the formal nights were surprisingly good.

 

Most of the desserts were unimpressive--too often gelatin-based and nicer to look at than to taste. But the chocolate birthday cake we ordered for one of our party was wonderful! Moist, chocolate-y, and not cloyingly sweet.

 

We had a standing my time dining reservation and were very pleased with our team of waiters--always cheerful, efficient, and quick to learn our preferences. In fact, most of the crew members with whom we had contact were friendly and welcoming. Their English proficiency was also impressive.

 

I tried the renowned Kummelweck roast beef sandwich (Park Cafe) and found it very tasty but not really a culinary highlight of the cruise. Cheesecake lollipops (Cafe Latte Tudes) also a nice treat.

 

Park Cafe was also a nice alternative for breakfast, offering wonderful yogurt parfaits and a variety of egg sandwiches. Unfortunately it closed at 9.

 

Chops and Giovanni's Table were not exactly disappointments--we had good meals there. But we didn't feel they were really worth the up-charge. Chef's Table, however, was excellent! We thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it was definitely worth the cost. We've also experienced Chef's Tables on other lines, though, and liked the one on NCL's Epic best.

 

The Solarium was a delightful place to spend lazy sea days, but lots of other folks thought so, too. Chair hogs were out in force in the mornings, but we could usually get a spot if we were there by 9 a.m. Not too hard to accomplish. And things usually cleared out by mid-afternoon. There was such an abundant supply of deck chairs and loungers all over the ship that it was always easy to find a shady or sunny one somewhere. Solarium as also a delight in the evenings--peaceful, comfortable, and with a source of refreshments just steps away in the Park Cafe.

 

Entertainment varied widely in quality but most was enjoyable. And RCL seemed to try to offer something for everyone.

 

No experience with spa services, casino, or children's programs.

 

In short, this was a very enjoyable and relaxing cruise. Princess and Celebrity remain our favorite lines, but we would gladly sail on Royal Caribbean again if the price and itinerary were appealing.

Edited May 19, 2016 by Hroswitha
repetition, typo

[Clarea]

Thanks for the feedback. That cruise (or the reverse) is on our bucket list.

[July4]

Thanks for the review. We will be on Serenade in Aug/Sept. doing Copenhagen to Boston:)

[Boobila]

We recently returned from Serenade of the Seas' Ft. Lauderdale-to-Copenhagen transatlantic, and the overall report is quite positive.

 

Who is "we"? A married couple and two female friends, all Americans in our late sixties. Three moderately experienced cruisers (6 to 13 previous cruises on five lines) and one newbie. We're all active and pretty adventurous.

 

Weather was for the most part pleasant, and warmer than we'd expected. Several foggy mornings, but the afternoons tended to be clear. We cut short our port time in the Azores to avoid a predicted storm, and the change in plans seemed to work well. We did experience some rocking, but we actually kind of enjoyed it--or at least three of us did!

 

There were signs of the ship's age if one chose to look for them, but we found all systems operating properly, cleanliness standards very high, and maintenance constantly ongoing. No sign of excessive wear or staining of upholstery, linens, carpeting, etc.

 

Because of the likelihood of cool weather, we chose ocean view cabins this time rather than balconies and were quite satisfied with the decision. We'd been a bit concerned about our far-forward, Deck 4 location near the theater, but it turned out to be a fine choice. Among the quietest cabins we've had and quite stable, probably because it was so low in the ship. Bed was surprisingly comfortable. We seldom saw our steward, but she kept the place immaculate and our ice bucket full.

 

Water temp in the cabin was, however, totally unpredictable. Sometimes cold water was warm; sometimes hot water was cool; sometimes it switched midstream. And sometimes it was perfect.

 

Food in the main dining room ranged mostly from good to very good, with a few dishes really excellent. Unfortunately a couple of them--in our opinion--verged on inedible, but those were quickly replaced. There were some problems with temperature of the food: often lukewarm rather than hot or cold.

 

We don't get particularly excited about lobster at sea, but the tails offered on one of the formal nights were surprisingly good.

 

Most of the desserts were unimpressive--too often gelatin-based and nicer to look at than to taste. But the chocolate birthday cake we ordered for one of our party was wonderful! Moist, chocolate-y, and not cloyingly sweet.

 

We had a standing my time dining reservation and were very pleased with our team of waiters--always cheerful, efficient, and quick to learn our preferences. In fact, most of the crew members with whom we had contact were friendly and welcoming. Their English proficiency was also impressive.

 

I tried the renowned Kummelweck roast beef sandwich (Park Cafe) and found it very tasty but not really a culinary highlight of the cruise. Cheesecake lollipops (Cafe Latte Tudes) also a nice treat.

 

Park Cafe was also a nice alternative for breakfast, offering wonderful yogurt parfaits and a variety of egg sandwiches. Unfortunately it closed at 9.

 

Chops and Giovanni's Table were not exactly disappointments--we had good meals there. But we didn't feel they were really worth the up-charge. Chef's Table, however, was excellent! We thoroughly enjoyed it and felt it was definitely worth the cost. We've also experienced Chef's Tables on other lines, though, and liked the one on NCL's Epic best.

 

The Solarium was a delightful place to spend lazy sea days, but lots of other folks thought so, too. Chair hogs were out in force in the mornings, but we could usually get a spot if we were there by 9 a.m. Not too hard to accomplish. And things usually cleared out by mid-afternoon. There was such an abundant supply of deck chairs and loungers all over the ship that it was always easy to find a shady or sunny one somewhere. Solarium as also a delight in the evenings--peaceful, comfortable, and with a source of refreshments just steps away in the Park Cafe.

 

Entertainment varied widely in quality but most was enjoyable. And RCL seemed to try to offer something for everyone.

 

No experience with spa services, casino, or children's programs.

 

In short, this was a very enjoyable and relaxing cruise. Princess and Celebrity remain our favorite lines, but we would gladly sail on Royal Caribbean again if the price and itinerary were appealing.

 

Thanks for the update. We are boarding June 5 for Back-back cruises to the norwejian fjords and Arctic circle and THEN to Baltic capitals…Its a special celebration and so glad to hear your review! Thanks

[mek]

I'm on the 6/5 sailing also and was on Serenade last month. Thanks for the review.

[Langley Cruisers]

Thank you.

 

Curious as to how you found the smoke issue? Is the casino still as bad as ever, drifting out into the Centrum?

[Hroswitha]

The casino itself was pretty stinky from all the smokers, but we didn't notice any particular problem in the Centrum--and one of our group is pretty sensitive.

[TulipBee]

Thank you.

 

Curious as to how you found the smoke issue? Is the casino still as bad as ever, drifting out into the Centrum?

 

I was worried about this, but admit I only noticed it this week in the casino itself (and I am pretty sensitive to it).

[Langley Cruisers]

Thank you both. :)

[steveru621]

Very insightful. Thank you for your review.

 

We did Boston to Copenhagen last year. Your review is right on.

[debshomespun]

Great review. We were on the 2/15/16 11 night sailing and will be on Serenade again on the 2/3/17 10 night sailing. Found the ship to be in great condition and the crew were very friendly. We enjoyed the Park Cafe for several breakfasts and also lunches. A couple times they had the black forest cake and it was really tasty!

[riclop]

Thanks for the review.